I’ve wanted to make a coffee rack out of palettes for a very long time and I finally had the resources to do it.

Don’t be deceived. It’s much harder than it looks. Although, I am thrilled to finally have one, I am not 100% happy with the results.

Why?

Because I didn’t think this project the whole way through. Originally, I wanted a much bigger palette but I couldn’t find one that would fit on the wall in my kitchen. I found this palette at Michael’s and decided to use it. It works, but the wood planks aren’t spaced as far apart as a typical palette, so I had to alternate the spoon hooks so that the mugs would fit properly.

Oh well, you live and you learn, right?

If you have the wall space for a full palette mug rack, you could use this tutorial to make it happen.

Things You Will Need

Drill
Nails
Coffee
Spoons
Hammer
Screwdriver
Wood palette
Sponge brush
D-ring mounts
Dollar Store Spoons

Pliers are useful but not necessary.

Coffee staining the palette

Coffee staining is effective, but it is going to take some time to complete. I spent about 2 hours staining the wood.  Take a book or your tablet outside with you for entertainment between layers and you’ll be find.

I used a french press and some really dark coffee for my stain, but I’ve read that instant coffee works well too. You’re call.

Step 1

Pour a thin layer of coffee onto the wood and use the sponge brush to evenly distribute it.

Let it dry between coats.

This was layer 3, but I took this picture after I coated the top two planks. You can see that they’re darker than the bottom two.

Keep going until you get your desired color.

Making the spoon hooks

My dad was kind enough to help me with this part since he has a drill and I don’t. Thank you for that!

Warning: even though spoons from the Dollar Store are cheap, they are chrome plated, so that first layers is hard to get through. Be careful with that.

Step 1

Drill a hole in the center of the spoon.

Step 2 (optional)

Add some texture to your spoon by hammering it with a ball-peen hammer. I just like the way it looks.

Step 3

Now, you want to wrap the bottom part of the spoon upward to form a hook.

I didn’t have a particular tool to get the shape I have in the picture above. I used a chair leg and pliers. Classy, I know. Sometimes you have to improvise.

Making the coffee stained mug rack

Step 1

Screw the D-rings on to the top wood plank on the back of the palette (for hanging).

Step 2

Nail your spoon hooks to the wood palette.

I alternated the spoons. If you have the space, you might be able to fit 3 spoons hooks per wood plank.

When you’re finished, you should have something like the above.

I’d love to know what you think! Leave your feedback for me in the comments. If you have any tips, I’d love to hear those as well!

Happy crafting!